SAIMUN
INTRODUCTION FOR FIRST TIME DELEGATES
CONTENTS
1. Introduction
2. How the St. Andrew's M.U.N. Works
3. Preparing to be a delegation
a) Researching your country
b) Preparing to write a resolution
4. At the conference
1.
2.
3.
4.

Lobbying at the conference
Opening speeches
Your council or committee
Rules of debate

5. How to perform well
6. The student officers. Administrative staff and security
7. Appendix A: The life of a resolution at the conference
8. Appendix B: Phrases for using in resolutions

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Introduction
The first St. Andrew's International Model United Nations [SAIMUN] was held in
1988 in St. Andrew's College, Dublin. The Conference moved to the RDS in 1990 to
accommodate the growing number of delegates who wished to attend. Since 2007
SAIMUN has been held in The Royal Marine Hotel, Dublin.
The conference is now host to 700 students representing 45 schools from 20
different countries from around the world.
Success at SAIMUN requires a range of skills: reading and researching, the ability to
discuss world affairs, the writing of resolutions, persuading others through lobbying
and debate, and reaching consensus with other delegates.
Remember, a Model United Nations is precisely what the name suggests. The aims
of the United Nations therefore must be our aims too.
There is no substitute for the hands-on experience of working and experiencing an
MUN itself. The following pages are intended as a general, practical guide for new
participants only. The language used is straightforward and if read carefully should
enable the first-time delegate to get to grips with the conference and take full
advantage of a valuable learning experience upon which they can build and develop
accordingly.

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How the St Andrew's M.U.N. works
When you attend SAIMUN you will be part of a delegation of 4 to 6 delegates
representing one of the 193 countries presently in the UN. It will be your job to
represent your country as effectively as you can. To do this you will need to have as
much information about your country as possible.
The leader of your delegation is known as the Ambassador.
Each delegate should choose one area of specialisation and should argue the
country's case in one of a number of Committees or Councils. These will consist of
groups of delegates [one from each country] who all specialise in the same area.
SAIMUN has the following committees:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

(Each of these committees

Political 1
will discuss a number of
different issues which you will
Political 2
need to research in advance)
Human Rights
Health and Youth
Disarmament
Ecology and Environment
Economic and Social Council ( ECOSOC)
Security Council (only for those countries who are members)

Once a Committee has discussed an issue and passed a resolution the next stage is
to try to have the resolution passed in the General Assembly.
A delegation which authentically represents its country's views and which has
delegates who show in-depth knowledge of their chosen area of specialisation is set
to do well at SAIMUN.

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Preparing to be a delegate

a. Researching your Country
Once you have been allocated a country your first task will be to find out as much information
about this country as you can. You will need to know the following:
Politics of the Country:

Natural Resources:
Culture:
Economy:

World Politics:
The UN:

Are you a democracy or a dictatorship?
Who is your leader?
Are you an ex-colony?
Which world powers are you friendly with?
Do you have any? Are you in a trade agreement with other
countries?
What ethnic groups live in your country? What religions are
practised?
Are you wealthy or poor?
Are you in debt?
What are the reasons for this?
Are you in a group with other countries in your part of the world?
Are you noted for your views on any world issue?
What is your record in the UN?

You should be able to look up information about your country in any good encyclopaedia,
reference book, and, increasingly, the Internet. Go to the school library or sit at your computer
and dig for information. Consult with experienced MUN people from your school who have
attended other conferences or indeed SAIMUN! Another place to ask for information is the
country's embassy or consulate. Visit or write to them.
Discuss your country with others. Do your parents have information that might be useful? The
more sources you consult [formal and informal] the better informed you will be.
b. Writing a Resolution
When your delegation has some information about the country you represent the next task will
be to research your specialised area. Each delegate chooses one and should be an expert in their
field.
For example, if your country is Cape Verde you may decide to be Cape Verde's delegate in the
Human Rights Committee. If so then you should be an expert on Human Rights. Look up the issues
your committee will be discussing.
**Find out as much information about these issues as possible.**

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To do this you will need to: watch the news, read the world news section of the papers, ask
experts who may have information on these issues (e.g. Amnesty International, Greenpeace,
political parties, teachers etc.) and discuss these issues with friends and parents.
Now that you have your information you can write your resolution!
A resolution is a statement of your ideas for the solution to a problem or how an issue should be
tackled by the United Nations. But remember, you are a representative of your country and you
must put forward the appropriate views.
1. Each resolution is a single sentence with the perambulatory clauses being separated by
commas and the operative clauses by semi-colon
2. The perambulatory clauses present the argument and justification for action.
3. The operative clauses state the policy. Each operative clause deals with one idea only. The
operative clauses should follow a logical sequence.
A resolution must also be typed in the correct format. For example, here is a resolution which the
Human Rights delegate for Cape Verde brought to a recent MUN.

COMMITTEE:

Human Rights

QUESTION OF:

The Continuing Violation of Palestinian Human Rights in the Occupied Territories

SUBMITTED BY:

Cape Verde

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Recalling Article 13 of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights (UDBR) which states

Underline Opening Phrases

that "(I) Everyone has the right to freedom of
movement and residence within the borders of each
state," and "(2) Everyone has the right to leave any
country, including his own, and return to his country,"
Emphasising the authority of Security
Council Resolution 237 (1967), which calls upon

Perambulatory Clauses

Israel to respect the humanitarian principles
outlined in the 1949 Geneva Convention,
Deeply disturbed by the violations of
the Palestinian people of the Occupied Territories
under Israeli law due to arbitrary detention,
torture, and the failure to abide by the UDHR

Use a comma to separate
preambulatory clauses

Articles 5 to 12,
Further disturbed by the rise in acts of violence
directed towards Israelis and Palestinians alike,
1.

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Encourages Israel, in its recent spirit

of commitment to a just and lasting peace in the
region of the Middle East, to adhere to the

Operative Clauses

articles and provisions set forth in the UDHR;
2.

Recommends that the UN investigate, in

depth, the Human Rights situation in the Occupied
Territories with a view to submitting a report of
its findings to the General Assembly on the
possibility of the following measures;
a.

the presence of United Nations

observers in the Occupied Territories whose task
would be to monitor the implementation of the UDHR
in the region,
b.

Punitive or incentive measures to

be agreed upon by the Security Council that would
serve the purpose of ensuring compliance with UN
decisions concerning the human rights situation in
the region;
3. Urges all member states of the UN, as
well as relevant NGOs, IGOs and UNOs, to supply aid
in the form of financial, technical, medical
industrial and educational assistance to the
Palestinians of the Occupied Territories in order
to;

Operative Clauses

a.

strengthen the infrastructure and

economies of the Occupied Territories and to
improve the standard of living,
b.

provide adequate and quality

education for Palestinian children, along with
equitable job opportunities and work assistance to
Palestinian workers.
c.

provide industrial assistance to

the Palestinian people by establishing or
reconstructing industrial production in the
Occupied Territories, as recommended by the
International Labour Organisation (ILO);
4. Recommends both Israel and the
Palestine Liberation Organisation to co-operate
through the present peace-talks in order to combat
Human Rights violations and to thoroughly address
the violation of Palestinian Human Rights and the
establishment of a Palestinian state, thereby
reducing the problem of the Human Rights situation

Use a full stop only at the end

in the Occupied Territories.

If a resolution is passed it becomes the official policy of the committee.
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Now that you know your country well, are an expert in your field, and have written your
resolution, you are set to attend the conference!!

At the Conference
Lobbying at the Conference
Day one of SAIMUN is a day for meeting delegates representing other countries and talking
informally to them. Your aim must be to gather support for your resolution. You may decide to
add or drop a clause to make it better or to obtain the support of a country. You are encouraged
to merge your resolution. If you do either of these then you will become a co-submitter of the
new resolution.
There are no committee meetings during day one. The talking and negotiating is done in the
lobby, hence the term "Lobbying". Lobbying is a vital part of any MUN and you will find that the
rest of the week will hinge upon it.

Remember: * Do bring plenty of copies of your resolution so that you can hand them out
to other delegates to read.
* The resolution system is computerised so have your resolution on USB.
* Do merge your resolution if this will make a better one.
* Don't support a resolution which your country would not agree with.
Once you have attained support for your resolution and adjusted it as necessary you should
upload your resolution onto the Resolution Management System.
- The resolution then goes to the Approval Panel which is a group of teachers who will check
spelling, punctuation and layout.
- If it is approved then your resolution will be put forward for selection for discussion in
committee.
- If it is not approved then make the necessary corrections and resubmit it.
b. Opening Speeches
On day two of SAIMUN the ambassador of every country gives an opening speech. They have one
minute to address the assembly. He/She should state the issues which are of major concern to
his/her country. The ambassador should not try to speak on every issue, but should highlight the
one or two most important issues of concern to their country. You only have one minute.

Cape Verde is an island country off the coast of Africa. It is a nation of few people which has not been pulled
apart by poverty. It is a small player in the world of international politics, and yet it is like many who find
themselves
on opening
the Security
Council;
beacon
of hope
against
an increasingly
unworkable
This was the
speech
foraCape
Verde
in The
Hague
MUN in January
1994:block of countries
who must be held accountable for the perceived malaise which has become the UN, - witness Bosnia 1994.
If it is true that the longest journey begins with the first step then today the UN should begin reassessing its
role and methods of resolving international crises such as wars of nationalism, gross violations of Human
Rights or discrimination against indigenous peoples. The UN should start a process in which those on the
perimeter of power are consulted and listened to.
-8The UN will have to change. Cape Verde wants to begin this long journey and we call on other smaller nations
to take the first step with us. We want our voices to be heard and to contribute to the badly needed
improvement in UN effectiveness.

A simple well prepared and well delivered speech will mark you out as a delegation of
importance.
c. Your Council or Committee
Formal debate begins when your committee opens on day two, usually after lunch. The meeting
will be in the charge of the chairperson or deputy chair.
Your goals in committee are simple. You must represent your country by speaking, asking
questions and voting as you see fit.
â&#x20AC;˘
Permission to speak can be obtained by raising your placard when the chair "opens the floor." It
will be your task to raise your placard! In general, you are permitted to speak when you "have the
floor" (i.e. the chair gives you permission to come to the front of the committee room), or when
you are "rising to a point of information" (i.e. you want to ask the speaker a question).
A delegate who shows that he/she understands the arguments well and is able to put his/her
country's views effectively, will do well!
d. Rules of Debate
The best way to learn how to use your committee time effectively is to watch how other good
delegates operate. There is no substitute for this. To help you in your first conference the
following explanations may be of help.
The chair:

The student officer in charge. His/her word is final.

Time for/against:

Time allocated for/against a resolution.

To have the floor:

To be given the right to stand up and address the meeting.

Yielding the floor:

A speaker may give the remainder of his/her speaking
time to another delegate or to the chair.

Appendix A:

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The life of a Resolution at the Conference
1.

Delegate arrives at conference with resolution written

2.

Delegate adapts resolution to make it better or gain support.

3.

Resolution uploaded onto Resolution Management System then
sent to Approval Panel for correction of grammatical/typing/
layout errors
.